Astonishing footage of a heated clash between an shopkeeper and two Israeli backpackers has been labelled by Jewish groups as a ‘venomous and shameful outburst’.
Footage of the heated exchange between the unidentified woman and the young tourists outside the store in Townsville in North Queensland on Saturday night has been shared widely online.
The backpackers, aged in their early 20s, were reportedly browsing in the store when they spotted a donation sign for relief in Palestine near the front counter.
They approached the shopkeeper and suggested that she consider verifying where the donations were being directed, sparking the anti-Semitic rant from the woman.
She allegedly told the backpackers, ‘Get the f**k out of my store’.
The short clip shared online showed the woman, dressed in black, then yelling at the tourists on the street while holding a shovel.
‘I don’t give a f**k about Israel but I do care about the fact that you’re a dirty filthy f**king Jew,’ the woman yelled as one of the backpackers filmed.
The other confronted the shopkeeper about her comments.
A Townsville shopkeeper’s anti-Semitic rant at two Israeli backpackers has been condemned by Jewish advocates as a ‘venomous and shameful outburst’
‘You wanna listen to what I have to say?’ the other tourist, dressed in a brown shirt and pants, asked.
‘No. F**k off,’ the shopkeeper fired back.
‘I said check what you say,’ the tourist continued.
The woman then told the backpackers to ‘f*** off’ twice more.
Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to identify the store involved.
The Australian Jewish Association has condemned the incident while taking a brutal swipe at the Albanese government.
‘The wave of anti-Jewish hate continues to surge across Australia. ‘Free Palestine’ have brought ugly division to this country,’ the association captioned the footage.
‘Many of the government’s actions have contributed to the surge of anti-Jewish hatred.
‘Incidents like this are happening every single day across Australia.’
Footage of the heated confrontation showed the shopkeeper brandishing a shovel while shouting obscenities at the tourists
The Anti-Defamation Commission also condemned the ‘raw, unfiltered anti-Semitism’.
Chairman, Dr Dvir Abramovich went as far as to label the incident a ‘national crisis’.
‘This horrifying episode sends a brutal message to Jewish Australians and international visitors alike: that they are not safe in our country. What does it say about us when backpackers, far from home, must fear for their lives because of their identity?’ he told news.com.au.
Dr Abramovich added the confrontation would not only have left the backpackers feeling ‘fear and humiliation’ but suggested a wider attitude across Australia.
He also called on authorities to treat the incident seriously.
‘This incident is not an isolated flash of hatred. It is part of a much larger, deeply disturbing trend. Anti-Semitism is creeping into the everyday fabric of our society, eroding the very principles we claim to hold dear,’ Dr Abramovich added.
‘Australia is at a crossroads. Will we let this cancer of hatred define who we are, or will we rise up and reclaim our values of decency, safety, and inclusion?’
One of the Israeli backpackers (left) challenged the shopkeeper about her language
The latest incident comes after a car was torched and buildings were vandalised with shocking anti-Israel slurs across Woollahra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs early Thursday morning.
Cars were vandalised with the words “f**k Israel”, while at least three premises, including a restaurant were also targeted.
Hours later, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee branded the wave of anti-Semitic incidents in Sydney’s east as attacks on his family in a powerful address at a Jewish House Gala Dinner.
In a passionate speech, he said any attack on the Jewish community is an ‘attack upon my wife and my children’.
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